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2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine

Elizabeth Blackburn Receives Prize at Spectacular Ceremony

With a serene smile and a dignified bow, UCSF molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, accepted the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine before an audience of hundreds of dignitaries, academics and members of Sweden’s royal family.

Colleagues from around the country commented on the importance of the now-burgeoning scientific field of telomere research, first nurtured to viability by Elizabeth Blackburn and a handful of other researchers two decades ago.

A week after being named UCSF’s first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Professor Blackburn sat down to discuss the elusive goal of work-life balance and the importance of following one’s passions.

Nobel History

UCSF Nobel Prize Winners

Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, is the fourth UCSF scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Other UCSF Nobel Prize winners include:

Stanley B. Prusiner, MD: 1997 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of a novel disease-causing agent — a protein he named prion (PREE-on). The prion causes rare neurodegenerative diseases, such as Creutzfeldt Jakob disease in humans, and “mad cow” disease in cattle. The discovery has informed research into the role of misprocessed proteins in more common brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

J. Michael Bishop, MD: 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his co-discovery with Harold Varmus, MD, of proto-oncogenes, showing that normal cellular genes can be converted to cancer genes. This work led to the recognition that all cancer probably arises from damage to normal genes and provided new strategies for the detection and treatment of cancer. In his 40 years of service to UCSF, the last 10 as chancellor, he has provided a model of distinguished scholarly inquiry, thoughtful academic leadership and deep commitment to the public good.

Harold E. Varmus, MD: 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his co-discovery with J. Michael Bishop, MD, of proto-oncogenes, showing that normal cellular genes can be converted to cancer genes. This work led to the recognition that all cancer probably arises from damage to normal genes and provided new strategies for the detection and treatment of cancer.

Female Nobel Prize Winners

Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider join an elite group of female scientists that have received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their awards bring the number of female recipients to 10, out of a total of 195 scientists who have received the award since it was established in 1901.

The first female laureate in physiology or medicine was Gerty Theresa Cori, in 1947. Cori shared the award with her husband Carl Cori and physiologist Bernardo Houssay. Last year’s recipient was also a woman, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who shared the award with her colleague Luc Montagnier and cancer researcher Harald zur Hausen. Past female recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include: